


Good Evening

by Jinkiki1221



Category: SHAWol, SHINee
Genre: Gen, Other, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 20:10:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20346007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinkiki1221/pseuds/Jinkiki1221
Summary: Five friends enjoy a lazy night after exams





	Good Evening

Spring had settled in nicely. Usually, around this time of the year, winter would still be lingering around, leaving the foliage that surrounded the boys’ university to fend for itself during its frosts and low temperatures. In its place, birds were seen prancing around in the grass whilst squirrels and other woodland animals peered from their homes to take their first whiff of the warm air. 

The boys had just finished exams and were excited to get their first night of freedom. No more studying, homework, or coffee-and-red-bull-fueled all-nighters…at least not until next year. The boys wanted some sort of way to commemorate another year of survival and Jonghyun suggested that his apartment would be the perfect place for them to celebrate “the ending of Hell” as he put it. 

The five friends headed towards the campus parking lot to Onew and Jonghyun’s vehicles after waiting outside the chemistry building for Minho, the last one with exams, to finish up.

“Why ‘Hell’?” Onew asked. “This year wasn’t all that bad.” 

“Easy for you to say, hyeong. Everything worked out for you.” Minho chimed in. The rest of them agreed. 

Onew was probably the only member of the friend group that was having an amazing year. He was a third year student like the rest of his buddies, and an early childhood education major. His internship from last year paid him enough to put a decent amount of money away towards getting his first car, a goal he had since his freshman year. Onew also applied for a scholarship for graduate school and despite completing the necessary paperwork for it days before the due date, ended up winning the money. On top of that, he was awarded a grant for $10,000 based on research he had done on the psychology of 6-year-olds. Because of the area Onew was set to live in, a car wasn’t really necessary, so the extra money Onew saved up for the car he planned on buying went to a nice and expensive spring break trip to Australia…where he also met a really nice girl.

“Have you talked to Eunji lately?” Taemin asked.

“Yeah. She’s cute. I’m starting to like her,” Onew answered, looking towards his feet with and smiling from ear to ear.

Key scoffed. “The next time you don’t let me know you’re going to Australia, I will personally strangle you with my bare hands.” 

Onew winced and Jonghyun came in between the two.

“Sooo, are we game for my place? We can go for a snack run!”

“SNACKS!!!!!!” Taemin screeched. “I’m IN!!”  
“I need alcohol!” Key rebuttled.  
“And maybe some movies too?” Minho said.  
“Anything anyone wants! Just as long as we have a plan before we get there. We all remember how last time went.”  
“Last time” was when they went out shopping for food and school supplies the day before classes started up. Long story short, Taemin is banned from most department stores.

“Okay dad,” Taemin answered before crossing his arms and pouting. Jonghyun rolled his eyes but smiled at him.

The boys all decided on going to the local GS25 convenience store which was only a 10-minute walk from their university’s campus.  
The 5 of them walked into the store, greeted the store clerk, and followed Onew to the alcohol section.  
“How about soju for tonight?” Onew asked the others.  
“If we’re getting the original flavor, then I’m not drinking anything,” Key said. “It’s too strong for me.”  
“Whimp!” Minho coughed into his hands. Key shot him a glance.  
“What did you say!?”  
“You heard me.” Minho responded.  
“Omo! You son of a bi--”  
“Hey,” Jonghyun interrupted, “if we get the original, then maybe we can buy some juice or something to mix it in with? That way, everyone will be happy.”  
“I like that idea,” Onew said. “You can pick the drink you want, Key. I’ll buy it for you.”  
“Thanks hyeong!” Key patted Onew’s head before speeding off to the drinks section.  
Minho groaned and looked to Onew. “Why don’t we all just get our own bottle? I know you can finish a bottle of soju, hyeong. Everything always has to go Key’s way.”  
“I want to look out for you guys. How much help would I be if we are all drunk out of our minds? Who’s gonna make sure Taemin drinks enough water and comfort Jonghyun when he starts crying?” Onew leaned over towards Minho and whispered, “You know he cries everytime he drinks.”  
Jonghyun’s mouth fell agape. “Not all the time!” He retorted while pouting. “I just love you guys.”  
“I guess you’re right hyeong,” Minho replied, “so do you think two or three bottles are enough to split amongst all of us?”  
“I think two, but we will get three just in case. Is that cool with everyone?”  
“Yes!” Minho chimed.  
“Its okay with me,” Jonghyun replied.  
“Yeah!” Key shouted from the drinks section.  
Onew nodded. “Great, then let’s--wait....where’s Taemin?”  
The others looked around them.   
“Taemin?”  
While the boys looked around them, Onew noticed a large pile of snacks maneuvering its way around the aisles.  
Thinking it was a store clerk, he prepared to move out of the way only to be greeted by a familiar face.  
“Taemin!? Where did you get all those snacks!?”  
“....I couldn’t pick.”  
“So you just grabbed everything you saw!?” Onew scanned Taemin’s little arms. He couldn’t imagine how Taemin managed to carry everything. He was carrying chips and sweets a mile high.  
Taemin pouted. “It’s not that heavy! I can carry it all!” he argued before dropping three packs of tonkatsu flavored ramen.  
Key studied the items on the floor. “Tonkatsu? You got tonkatsu ramen?”  
Taemin nodded from behind the snacks but doubted his friends could see him. “They’re my favorite,” he added.  
Key scoffed. “You didn’t get any tteokbokki chips!? Or sausage and noodles!? You have the tastes of a caveman!”  
“But I did get them, Key!” Taemin somehow managed to pull out two bags of tteokbokki chips. “See?”  
Key scanned the items before squinting his eyes, crossing his arms and saying, “you better had.”  
“Did you get cinnamon rolls?” Jonghyun asked. “You know I like sweet things.”  
“I sure did!”  
“Did you get ramen?” Minho asked  
“Chungyang red pepper flavored? Yes!”  
“Assah! Thanks Taemin!”

Onew pinched his nose bridge. “Taemin, you’ve gotta put some of those snacks back.”  
Taemin puffed his cheeks. “Aww why, hyeong? I picked out everything special for everyone,” he whined.   
“The clerk is going to get annoyed if we take all that up there.” Onew explained. Key rolled his eyes.  
“So what? He works here, that’s his job!” He spat. “If he doesn’t like it, he should work somewhere else.”  
“Well,” Onew began, “we shouldn’t eat this much at night. Just put a few things back, Taeminnie.”  
Taemin pursed his lips. “Even the chicken?”  
Onew paused.   
“...Chicken?”  
“Yeah,” Taemin help up what looked to be 3 or 4 bags of pre-prepared chicken katsu. “They were on sale!”  
Onew stood there and stared at the bags, as if in some sort of trance. The others exchanged glances.  
“Uhm,” Taemin began while eyeing Onew, “I guess I’ll go put these back--”  
“Wait!” Onew blurted, startling the others. “We will buy everything, but this just this once. Okay?”  
“YAY!!!” Taemin yelled. He rushed over to the counter while the others followed behind him.  
After leaving the store with bags of snacks, juice and liquor after a very annoyed clerk rang everything up, the boys began making their way to Jonghyun’s apartment. The walk was a little long, but the boys killed time by cracking jokes and gossiping about classmates. By the time they reached Jonghyun’s apartment, its was already 11 pm. The boys knew they would have a long and interesting night ahead of them.

Jonghyun entered his pin code and opened his front door revealing a very spacious and somewhat messy apartment.   
“Honey, I’m home!” Jonghyun yelled and out came his weiner dog, Roo, ready to greet him.  
“Aigo~Roo-yah,” he cooed as the little dog pounced on him and licked at his hands.

After removing their shoes, the guys set their snacks on the counter and got settled while Onew began pouring drinks for everyone.

“Don’t dilute mine too much, hyeong!” Minho called from across the room, “I like the burn!”  
Onew cracked a smile and nodded. “Don’t worry Minho, I do too!” He then collected the glasses and passed them out.

Key made a face. “You guys are disgusting.”  
“Sounds like something a lightweight would say,” Minho sneered. He and Onew clinked glasses and took a big swig of their soju mixture.  
“Lightweight!?” Key scoffed. “Are you serious? Do you remember Christmas last year, Minho?”  
Jonghyun snickered. “We ALL remember Christmas!”  
“I don’t!” Taemin chimed.  
“That’s because you were in Singapore for study abroad, Taeminnie!” Jonghyun responded. “Minho was acting like a complete fool! Remember when he pulled out his—"  
“HEY!” Minho yelled quickly, cutting Jonghyun off mid-sentence. “I don’t think Taemin needs to hear that story, hyeong.”  
Taemin pouted. “Why not!?”  
“Because,” Onew chimed in, “that’s a side of Minho I don’t think you’re ready to hear about.”  
Taemin pouted once again before taking another swing of his alcohol. He stood up.   
“I have to go to the bathroom.”  
“No!” Jonghyun bellowed and put a hand in front of him, “don’t break the seal!”  
Taemin’s face along with the other’s contorted in confusion.  
“What does that mean, hyeong?”  
“It means that if you go pee right now after drinking then you will have to go every 5 minutes!”  
Minho snickered. “Hyeong. That’s a myth.”  
“It’s not! I swear I thought the same thing until it happened to me!” Jonghyun’s wide eyes and frantic hand gestures sparked laughter in all but the youngest.  
“Taemin,” Onew said dearly, “go to the bathroom.”  
“No Taemin!” Jonghyun stopped him once again, “DON’T!”  
Flustered, Taemin hid his face behind his hands.  
“I’m scared!”  
A cacophony of “no” sprinkled with “you should be!” from Jonghyun filled the room. Key interjected.  
“Just go Taeminnie, you never thought about it until Jonghyun-hyeong mentioned it.”  
Taking Key’s advice, Taemin made his way to Jonghyun’s bathroom and shut the door behind him. Key then looked over to Jonghyun and crossed his arms. “I’m disappointed in you.”  
“Why!?” Jonghyun asked, “I was telling him the truth!”  
“Why the hell would you scare him like that?”  
“I was only trying to save him extra trips to the bathroom.”  
“Like hell you were! You know better than to scare the baby!”

“I’m not a baby!” Taemin shouted from the bathroom

“You heard the boy,” Minho said with a laugh.  
Key rolled his eyes and sipped his wine. “Well whatever the fuck he wants to think is no skin off my balls.”  
“Key!” Onew shouted, “Language! Taemin might hear you.”  
“I already know those words!” Taemin once again shouted from the bathroom. The toilet flushed and Taemin made his way back to the living room.  
“You might as well not even sit down,” Jonghyun said, “you’ll have to go again in another five minutes.” He laughed.  
The others chastised him before returning to their gossip and alcohol session.  
A few hours and a couple of drinks in, the boys began to get a little loopy.  
“How are you guys feeling?” Minho asked, clearly drunk.  
Key made an “ok” gesture with his hands and smiled. Taemin nodded.   
“I…I’m...I’m good Ming….”  
“Who’s Ming?” Key asked.  
Taemin pointed to Jonghyun. “There.”  
Jonghyun, dumbfounded, pointed to himself. “Me??”  
Taemin sat in deep thought for a second. “Oh no...wait I messed up…”  
While the others sorted out everything, Minho turned to Onew. “Hyeong, you okay?”  
Onew, sitting with an empty glass in one hand and a pinched nose bridge in the other, turned to Minho with half-lidded eyes. His cheeks and ears were flush.   
“…huh?”  
“Are you okay hyeong?”  
Onew didn’t respond. Instead he started to lean forward, his eyes closing and head dropping to the side.  
“Onew?” Minho asked again. The others turned to look also.  
Still no reply.  
“Hyeong…” Minho repeated, a little more worried this time.  
Before any of them knew it, Onew fell off the couch and hit the floor with a hard thud.  
Minho snickered. “So much for ‘watching over us’.”  
The others looked from Onew to each other. Key tsked.  
“Oh…he’s fucked up.”  
The rest soon burst into laughter before helping Onew back onto the couch and getting him some water. Turns out Onew had already finished two pure bottles of soju and some gin and tonic Jonghyun forgot he had in the fridge. In short: he drank a lot.

“Maybe we should eat noodles now,” Minho said before getting up and slightly stumbling towards the kitchen. Onew silently followed behind him, insisting that getting up and moving around would help with his intoxication. Minho grabbed a pot and opened the grocery bags.  
“Taemin, you bought Ottogi noodles?”  
“Yeah,” Taemin replied hazily. “Why?”  
“Do you guys remember that dance we made about them?”  
The guys pondered for a moment before Key smiled.   
“Ahhhhhhh! Bbusyeo, bbusyeo!”   
The others let out a loud yell at the nostalgic noise.   
“Minhoooo~ how did it go again?” Key drunkenly looked at Minho and Minho took an unopened pack of noodles and moved to the living room. 

“Ottogi noodles bbuseyo bbuseyo, try following us!”  
The others followed along with Minho, now remembering the song.

“KNEE KICK, BBUSEYO! BBUSYEO! BBUSYEO!!!!”  
Taemin now got up.  
“POPPIN, POPPIN, BBUSYEO! BBUSYEO!”  
Next was Onew.  
“STOMP!”  
“Stomp!” Minho interjected while Onew did his dance routine. Then Key got up and screamed as loud as he could: “WAVE! WAVE! BBUSEYO BBUSYEOOOO!”  
“It’s my turn!” Jonghyun groggily got up and the others began to chant,  
“KRUMP! KRUMP! BBUSYEO BBUSYEO!”   
Jonghyun enthusiastically burst into a fit of crumps and the others, though shocked with his burst of drunken energy, laughed and egged him on. Jonghyun was on a roll with the erratic dance movements--that is until one miscalculation in the landing of his jump sent him off his feet landing straight on his ass.  
The laughs that already filled the room were even more pronounced upon viewing Jonghyun’s drunken fail. The five of them had to be laughing for about 20 minutes or so because they were blue n the face and could barely breathe as they calmed down.  
“That had to be the BEST thing I’ve seen all school year,” Key said while wiping tears from his already wet eyes. “I’m so glad you all are my friends.”  
“I’m glad that me busting my ass has had an impact on you,” Jonghyun joked, “I’ll be sure to do it more often now.”  
“You guys are so cute,” Onew cooed. Jonghyun smiled at Key but Key turned his nose up at him and fake gagged.  
As Onew got up to distribute noodles to everyone in the group, Taemin shyly asked, “…do you guys think we will be friends forever?”  
Thanks to Jonghyun, everyone sobered up and was able to clearly understand the depths of Taemin’s question. While none of them believed they would not be friends anytime soon, they never actually thought about what the far future held for them. Would they be friends forever? Was it even possible for a group of five to be that close?  
“Of course we do Taemin,” Onew replied.  
“I sure hope we are,” Minho responded.  
“I guess it’d be okay if we were,” Key said, “you all aren’t THAT much of a pain in my ass.”  
The others jokingly booed at Key while laughing, making Taemin beam.  
“I hope we are too.”  
“I think we will,” Jonghyun replied with a warm smile. "Have you all ever heard of the red thread?"  
"Red thread?" Key and Onew asked simultaneously.  
"Yeah," Jonghyun said. "There is a red thread that connects each and everyone one of us to the person who belongs in our lives. It can twist and bend, but it will never break." Jonghyun looked towards his hands as he swirled the noodles around his chopsticks. “We are one of a kind.”  
That sentence made everyone go silent—“one of a kind”. How true was that? How true did Jonghyun believe that was?  
Without a word, the men in the room exchanged calm glances at one another. No one could tell what the other person was thinking. Silence consumed room longer than it normally did when the five of them were together until Minho threw a pillow at Jonghyun’s face, shattering the peace.  
Jonghyun looked towards Minho and before he could get a word out, Minho said.  
“You weren’t going to cry, were you?”  
The two of them stared expressionless at one another with the others watching as well until Jonghyun cracked a smile and laughed without a care in the world, provoking the others to join right in with him.


End file.
